Offre Joie was established by a group of young volunteers- high-school and university students- who believed in a unified Lebanon and wanted to create a space to meet and say “no” to war, bringing Lebanese from different communities and fractions together under an umbrella of love, forgiveness, and respect.

The organization is lead by Mr. Melhem Khalaf and is governed by a board consisting of five persons: Mr. Mohamad Hmadeh, Mr. Paul Nassar, Mr. Walid Arnaout, Mr. Nadim Souaid, and Mr. Melhem Khalaf.

Activities

Since its founding, Offre Joie has undertaken diverse initiatives aimed at building a common platform for children, adolescents and young adults from all over Lebanon. To this end, it organizes free summer camps and development workshops and holds various social and educational activities and seminars on topics focusing on civil society issues, public health, social work, promotion of citizenship, etc in order to reinforce civil peace.

Offre Joie focuses on the poor and the disadvantaged. Its first workshops were launched in Kfifan in 1992. Volunteers joined to renovate prisons and public schools and to improve the living conditions in the neglected neighborhoods. The organization participated in the construction of a public school in Akkar and renovated more than 12 other public schools. Offre Joie attends to the detainees in Lebanese prisons and strives to ameliorate their conditions. It distributes winter clothing and hygiene products to prisoners and writes reports to the prison wardens on the poor quality of life inside prisons and proposes improvements. Offre Joie volunteers have renovated 8 prisons, 3 of which meet high standards: Tebneen (2009), Batroun (2008) and Aley (2012). A master plan has also been devised for the new Zahle prison.

Juvenile detainees were also hosted for a work camp in Kfifan after attaining a judicial approval. Based on the interactions with these youths, the volunteers formed a better understanding of the needs and misery in the area of Bab el Tebbaneh, where Offre Joie has been active since.

With time, the movement of the Offre Joie volunteers has matured and acquired professional skills and resources. Having committed themselves to alleviate human suffering in its diverse aspects and contexts, the volunteers invested those skills in helping the people of South Lebanon after the 2006 July War by renovating 3 public schools and rebuilding two neighborhoods. With equal enthusiasm, they extended their efforts to all those affected by bombings and attacks in Geitawi, Ashrafieh and Hay Selloum to name but a few.

Civil peace has always been at the center of Offre Joie’s mission. To this end, the organization has launched 31 initiatives aimed at preventing violence, the last of which was the Human Chain organized in Al-Basta and Khandaq Al-Ghamiq.

Funding

Offre Joie is able to implement its activities by using the services of volunteers, financial support from both individuals and institutions in Lebanon and abroad. Main financial supporters of Offre Joie have included the Municipality of Tripoli, Murex Co. (France), Les Amis de Soeur Emmanuelle (France), and the Italian Cooperation. Offre Joie takes great care of avoiding dependency on financial donors, and it refuses to endorse any religious or political agenda whatsoever.

Peace-building Projects:

• Disaster Response: Unfortunately, in a volatile country such as Lebanon, this program is necessary and focuses on immediate response to a disaster. It can entail many aspects such as distributing food and hygiene kits to rebuilding destroyed areas to ensure the safe return of inhabitants. Examples of Offre Joie’s disaster response program are the 2006 War and Ashrafieh bombing.
• Peace Summer Camps: Every summer and as a part of culture and knowledge sharing, Offre Joie organizes approximately 10 summer camps for children and youth from all over Lebanon. These children get to meet others from different regions, backgrounds, and religions and live together for 10 days of peace-sharing, fun, adventure and culture.
• 13 April: To say “no” to war is very important, and Offre Joie undertakes the remembrance of the war on April 13 as a way to gather the youth with different key institutions in Lebanon such as religious leaders, media representatives, etc. On this day, together as one, they gather to say NO to war.
• Common Prayer: This is a time where volunteers of all religions and from all backgrounds and regions share some quiet and thoughts in order to say thanks and share praise.
• Others: Other activities are always organized throughout the year depending on the need and emergencies within the country. Events such as an Iftar in Bourj Abi Haidar after the clashes in 2009, and a human chain between Basta el Tahta and Khandak Al Ghamik after the clashes between two religious groups are always on the agenda of Offre Joie.

Humanitarian Projects:

• Pull du Prisonnier: On a yearly basis and around the start of winter, Offre Joie organizes one day where volunteers go to almost all prisons in Lebanon and distribute hygienic kits, cleaning products, and sweaters to prisoners. Volunteers go into the prison cells, evaluate the conditions of prisoners and the prison itself, talk with the prisoners and distribute different materials to keep them warm and clean.
• Arbre de Noel: As an end of the year celebration, Offre Joie hosts over 1200 children from all over Lebanon to watch a kids’ play at Theatre Odeon. After the play has ended, a present and a goody bag including sandwiches, fruits, chocolates, candy, and juice are distributed to the children.
• Prison/School/poor neighborhoods Chantier: While summer camps are usually hosted for children, chantiers (worksites) target the older youth. Every summer, a prison, poor and vulnerable neighborhood and/or school are chosen to be renovated to the standards of human and children’s rights.